Hawks and Giant Hawks

A birding book described eagles as "giant hawks".
Accomplished something I've wanted to do for years, which was to see such giant hawks, specifiaclly(sic) a bald eagle, in my life.

Done.

Gf and I took the trip to Starved Rock state park. Starved Rock is about 136 km away. We were hoping to get there @, like, 1000h, but eventually got there @ 1500h. The ride was nice, and we were not stressing. It was a long piece of driving, on 57 and 55 and 80. If I was into speeding, I could have did 80-90 most of the way, even hitting 101 if I so wished.

Illinois is famous amongst eagle lovers as having the largest eagle population in the country outside of Alaska. It's all the dams and water breaks on the Mississippi and ythe Illinois and its tribs. that keep the ice from forming over. Since fish (ug) form 90% of the bald eagles diet, these are necessary areas for them to hunt in winter.

I was totally worried that since the winter was so nice, and ice was not forming upstream, that maybe the eagles would not be there. We were prepared to see nothing @ all. However, as you can guess, when we parked the car and walked to the river, something big was gliding over, and its head sure looked white. It was. There were all to-gether four eagles; two mature, and two brownish immature ones. They did one of four things. Circle over the water. Run from the seagulls that were trying to snatch its food. Sit on a dead branch of a tree. And, my favourite, glide (see picture @ left) while showing its broadside. Its profile, that wide sweep of wings, was simply awesome. Nothing like it @ all. We were, maybe, a km away; the eagles would glide through the trees @ that distance, massive black shapes sweeping sweetly through the deleafed branches. I am reminded of a description of battleship Bismarck gliding through the Norwegian fjorids proir to its only mission : giant grey mass sliding through the smowy mists. You should try to make it one of these dec-mars months.

This day marked the most raptors I've seen in a single day: also saw two hawks on the ride down (one over the highway, one scattering the pigeons and starlings in a parking lot) Funny, always thought hawks were big birds. I now mumble something about context under my breath...........

They also had bird feeders up, so I saw some cardinals, woodpeckers, a grackle (should have been out of this area by now), and other birds I knew not. Herons and gulls and Canada Geese over the water.

Starved Rock State Park. Got its name from a Native American group was cornered in this incredible defensive position- basically invoilable @ the time- by two enemies. They could not break out of their encirclement, but also could not be attacked. Thus they starved. Speaking as a military man (whatever), Starved Rock is a beautiful defensive position. I tried to post anothe rpicture on this post, but I failed. Look up Starved rock yrself to see this position.